Lighting fixture display and supporting structure

ABSTRACT

A lighting fixture supporting and display structure having a plurality of transverse members, a plurality of longitudinal channels removably supported by said transverse members by interlocking connector means and at least certain of said channels have electric outlets for energizing fixtures supported by said channels.

United States Patent Liberman 51 May 2,1972

[54] LIGHTING FIXTURE DISPLAY AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURE [72] inventor: Milton Liberman, 65 Seawane Rd., East Rockaway, NY. 1 1518 [22] Filed: May 6, 1970 [211 Appl. No.: 35,028

[52] U.S. Cl. ..339/22 B, 240/9 R, 339/135 [51] Int. Cl ..11011' 13/60 [58] Field ofSearch ..339/20,21,22, 23, 24, 117,

339/135; 174/48, 61; 52/28, 222, 484, 626, 663; 240/9 R, 78 CF, 78 R, 78 M, 76, 77

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,534,281 4/1925 Morgan et al ..52/484 X 648,869 5/1900 Horn ..52/484 3,051,772 8/1962 Davis I 74/61 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,000,925 8/1965 Great Britain ..339/21 R Primary E.\'aminerMarvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer AttorneyEugene E. Geoffrey, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A lighting fixture supporting and display structure having a plurality of transverse members, a plurality of longitudinal channels removably supported by said transverse members by interlocking connector means and at least certain of said channels have electric outlets for energizing fixtures supported by said channels.

6 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 21972 3,660,820

SHEET 2 OF 3 INVENTOR /I//4 Td/V A wig/mam LIGHTING FIXTURE DISPLAY AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURE This invention relates to lighting fixture supporting and display structures and more specifically to a novel and improved structure adapted to be supported from a ceiling and by reason of the improved arrangement and organization of elements may be formed as a discrete unit for attachment to a ceiling or may be arranged to cover an entire ceiling area.

Many forms of lighting fixture display and supporting structures have heretofore been proposed. These structures were principally intended for use in stores and display rooms for displaying various forms of lighting fixtures. Known devices have been relatively complicated and presented difficulties in modifying the size of the structure and in providing adequate and readily accessible outlets of appropriate voltages for connection of the fixtures.

This invention overcomes the disadvantages of prior known devices and provides a novel and improved structure utilizing a plurality of relatively widely spaced elongated supporting members which may be attached individually to a ceiling. The transverse members each carry a plurality of connecting means for supporting longitudinal channels in relatively closely spaced parallel relationship. The longitudinal channels are generally U-shaped and selected channels may include electric wiring and a plurality of electric outlets for energizing lighting fixtures. By reason of the improved arrangement of elements the structure may be formed in any desired size and may be readily assembled and disassembled for maintenance and repair. The lighting fixtures to be displayed are carried by the longitudinal channels and may be supported by suitable brackets bridging two or more channels and having downwardly extending fixture supporting members.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel and improved lighting fixture display and supporting structure that is characterized by its simplicity, versatility and ease of installation.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel and improved lighting fixture display and supporting structure which provides an improved arrangement of elements and means for interconnecting a plurality of longitudinal channels with a plurality of transverse supporting members for fixedly securing the longitudinal channels to said supporting members.

The above and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings forming part of this application.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of lighting fixture support and display structure in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 with portions broken away;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 taken along the line 3-3 thereof;

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are cross-sectional views of FIG. 1 taken along the lines 44, 55, and 6-6 thereof, respectively;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 7 taken along the line 8-8 thereof;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of FIG. 5 taken in the direction of the arrows 9-9;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 9 taken along the line 10-10 thereof;

FIG. 1 1 is an enlarged view of a fragmentary portion of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 9 taken along the line l212 thereof.

As will become apparent from the following description, the structure in accordance with the invention while principally intended for display of lighting fixtures in showrooms and stores is equally useful for supporting and selectively positioning lighting fixtures for illuminating merchandise and other similar purposes wherein it may be desired to shift the type and arrangement of the fixtures from time to time. Furthermore, by reason of the arrangement and coordination of elements forming the supporting structure, it may be formed as a discrete unit for attachment to the ceiling or it may be arranged to cover an entire ceiling. For the purposes of this application, the fixture supporting structure is illustrated as a separate unit for attachment to a ceiling.

A perspective view of one form of an improved structure in accordance with the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 and comprises a plurality of longitudinal upwardly opening channels 10 which in turn are supported by transverse channels 11. The channels 11 are secured to the ceiling by encircling straps l3 and rods 14 connecting the straps 13 to the ceiling C. The periphery of the structure is enclosed by side panels 15 and end panels 16 of wood, plastic, or other suitable material.

Referring more specifically to FIGS. 2 through 8, the transverse channels 11 are U-shaped and extend throughout the width of the structure. If the structure is intended to cover an entire ceiling, then the channels 11 would extend across the width of the room or other area in which the structure is to be installed. Each transverse channel 11 carries a plurality of downwardly facing connectors generally denoted by the numeral 17. The connectors 17 are spaced at predetermined intervals depending on the number of longitudinal channels 10 to be supported thereby. Each connector has a base portion 18 secured to the bottom wall 19 of the channel 11, a pair of downwardly depending legs 20 and 21, and inwardly extending portions 22 and 23. The facing edges of the inwardly extending portions 22 and 23 are positioned in spaced relationship and the portion 23 has a step denoted by the numeral 24 so that the upper horizontal face 25 of the step 24 lies in the same plane as the upper face 22' of the inwardly extending portion 22. The connectors 17 are fastened to the channels 11 by screws 26 or other suitable means so that they will be maintained in a predetermined fixed relationship to the channels 1 l.

The straps 13 for supporting the channels 11 are each preferably provided with a plurality of openings 27 to receive a pin 28 that extends through a cooperating opening in the bottom end of the associated support 14. In this way the transverse channels 11 can be leveled so that the bottom surfaces thereof lie in a common horizontal plane.

The longitudinal channels 10 each have a base'29, upwardly extending legs 30; and inwardly extending flanges 31. Each longitudinal channel is provided with a plurality of elongated T-shaped supports 32 with each support having a horizontally disposed upper member 33, and a downwardly extending portion 34 which may be integrally formed with the horizontal member 33. The lower end of the member 34 carries an inverted U-shaped portion 35 having a width approximately equal to the internal width of the channels 10. The U-shaped portions 35 of the supports 32 fit within the channels 10 and engage the inwardly extending upper flanges 31 of the channels. If desired, the supports 32 may be fixedly secured to the channels 10 by bolting or riveting the channels to the depending legs of the U-shaped portions 35. The supports 32 are positioned along the lengths of the channels 10 so that they will be aligned with the connectors 17 on the channel 11.

When the channels 11 have been installed on the ceiling as previously described, the supports 32 of the longitudinal channels 10 are engaged with the cooperating connectors 17 by tilting the channels 10 as shown in dotted outline in FIG. 7 to move one edge of the horizontal portion 33 of each support into engagement with the connector 17. The channel 10 is then moved to a vertical position to move the other end of the horizontal portion 33 through the opening in the connector 17 whereupon the channel 10 can then be moved to the left as illustrated for instance in FIG. 7 to cause the horizontal portion 33 to rest on the surfaces 22 and 25. The supports 32 are then locked into engagement with the connectors 17 by screws 36 which threadably engage cooperating openings in the bases 19 of the channels 11 and the associated connectors 17. By tightening the screws 36, the supports 32 are automatically locked in place-in the connectors 17.This arrangement also facilitates removal of the channels for maintenance, repair, and other purposes. I

When the structure is to be used as a separate unit for attachment-to a ceiling, the two outer longitudinal channels such as the channel 10 as shown'in FIG. 2 are provided with an outwardly extending flanges 37 having upwardly extending lips 38 along the edges thereof. This is shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 6. The outer flanges 37 support the side panels 15 and the lengths of the transverse longitudinal channels 11 are adjusted so that they abut the inner surfaces of the panels 15 to maintain them in a vertical position. The ends of at least certain channels 11 may be provided with plugs 29 of wood or other suitable material to permit attachment of the panels 15 by screws 40 or other suitable means. The end panels 16 are supported by generally S-shaped end members generally denoted by the numeral 41 as shown in FIG. 5. Each member has a horizontal top leg 42, a vertical leg 43, which is secured to a plug 44 of wood or other suitable material forcibly inserted in the end of selected channels 10 by screws 45 or other suitable fastening means, an outwardly extending flange 46, and an upwardly extending lip 47. The panels 16 may be held in place by securing the ends of the panels to the adjoining ends of the panels 15 or in the alternative suitable fastening means may extend through the panels and engage the plugs 44 in the ends of the channels 10.

Selected channels 10 are provided with electric outlets as illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, and 9 for energizing lighting fixtures generally denoted by the numeral 48. More specifically, the selected channels to be energized are provided with outlets 49 having grooves 50 which engage the inwardly extending lips 31 on the channels 10. The wiring generally denoted by the numeral 51 in H6. 4 connects the outlets to a source of energy. While the outlets 49 as illustrated in the drawings are intended to receive standard low voltageplugs to provide 1 l v. to 120 v. and a ground, other channels may include high voltage outlets having delivering voltages of the order to 240 v. to 280 v. which may be required for energizing particular types of lighting fixtures.

The channels 10 which include electric wiring are preferably closed by covers generally denoted by the numeral 52 and extend between successive outlets 49. The covers 52 are generally U-shaped having a top wall 53 and depending sidewalls 54. The side walls, 54 closely engage the side walls 30 of the channels 10. If desired, the side walls 30 'of the channels 10 may include longitudinal grooves 55 and the dependingside walls 54 of the covers 52 may include longitudinal ridges 56 which engage the grooves 55 to securely hold the covers in position.

The lighting fixtures such as the fixtures 48 may be supported at any desired position on the display structure. One form of support is illustrated in FIG. 4 and includes a bracket 57 which bridges two adjoining channels 10 and has downwardly depending legs 58 to prevent lateral displacement of the bridging bracket. The center of the bracket carries a vertically disposed tube 59 threadably receiving a nut 60 on the top side thereof. The tube 59 extends downwardly through an escutcheon plate 60 which is held tightly against the underside of the channel 10 by a second nut 62 threadably engaging the tube 59. The bottom end of the tube 59 carries the fixture 48 with the wiring 63 extending upwardly through the tube and terminating in a plug 64 for engaging an adjoining outlet 49. With this arrangement, the fixtures can be placed at any desired location any by appropriate arrangement of outlets on the upper. sides of the channels 10, the fixtures may be conveniently plugged in order to energize them. It is quite evident that any type of fixture may be supported by the structure in accordance with the invention including both incandescent and fluorescent lighting fixtures.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that the structure in accordance with the invention provides a highly versatile mode of display since the structures can be made of any desired shape or configuration and may be readily arranged to cover the entire ceiling of a room or given area. Moreover, all of the elements including the channels 10 and 11, the connectors 17, the supports 32, and supporting means for the panels 15 and 16 may be formed economically by conventional extruding processes. In the case of the connectors 17 and the supports 32, these elements can be extruded in long lengths and then merely cut to appropriate lengths by any conventional automatic cutting means. In addition, it is obvious that when forming structures of small size, they can be preassembled and then installed on the ceiling or they may be shipped in an unassembled condition and then assembled upon installation.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is apparent that alterations, modifications and changes may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Lighting fixture display apparatus comprising a plurality of transverse members each having a plurality of releasable connectors on the underside thereof with corresponding connectors on said members being in longitudinal alignment, a plurality of longitudinally upwardly opening channels, a plurality of spaced supports engaging said channels and connectors to hold said channels in spaced parallel relationship, and electric outlets carried by at least certain of said channels, said channels being adapted to support lighting fixtures carried by brackets engaging at least one of said channels, said connectors each comprising a downwardly facing channel section with the downwardly extending legs of said channel section having inwardly extending flanges, and each support is T- shaped with the lower part of said support engaging the flanges on said connector said connectors further including means engaging the upper portion of the associated support to prevent lateral movement thereof and means for locking said upper support portion in'engagement with its associated connector.

2. Lighting fixture display apparatus comprising a plurality of transverse members each having a plurality of releasable connectors on the underside thereof with corresponding connectors on said members being in longitudinal alignment, a plurality of longitudinal upwardly opening channels, a plurality of spaced supports engaging said channels and connectors to hold said channels in spaced parallel relationship, and electric outlets carried by at least certain of said channels, said channels being adapted to support lighting fixtures carried by brackets engaging at least one of said channels, the outermost longitudinal channels including outwardly extending flanges and upwardly extending lips on the outer ends of the flanges to receive and hold elongated longitudinal panels and the ends of said longitudinal channels are closed by transverse vertical plates each having an upper inwardly extending flange overlying the adjoining ends of said channels and a lower outwardly extending flange having an upwardly extending lip to receive and hold elongated transverse panels.

3. Lighting fixture display apparatus comprising a plurality of transverse members each having a plurality of releasable connectors on the underside thereof with corresponding connectors on said members being in longitudinal alignment, a plurality of longitudinal upwardly opening channels, a-plurality of spaced supports engaging said channels and connectors to hold said channels in spaced parallel relationship, and electric outlets carried by at least certain of said channels, said channels being adapted to support lighting fixtures carried by brackets engaging at least one of said channels, said electric outlets being faced upwardly and engaging the upper open edges of said channels and covers closing the open portions of the outlet carrying channels between said outlets.

4. Lighting fixture display apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said outer longitudinal channels include outwardly extending flanges and upwardly extending lips on the outer ends of the flanges to receive and hold elongated longitudinal panels and the ends of said longitudinal channels are closed by transverse vertical plates each having an upper inwardly extending flange overlying the adjoining ends of said channels and a lower outwardly extending flange having an upwardly extending lip to receive and hold elongated transverse panels.

5. Lighting fixture display apparatus comprising a plurality of transverse members each having a plurality of releasable connectors on the underside thereof with corresponding connectors on said members being in longitudinal alignment, a plurality of longitudinal upwardly opening channels, a plurality of spaced supports engaging said channels and connectors to hold said channels in spaced parallel relationship, electric outlets carried by at least certain of said channels, and fixture carrying means comprising a bracket bridging at least two adjoining longitudinal channels and lighting fixture supporting means carried by said bracket and extending downwardly between said longitudinal channels.

6. Lighting fixture display apparatus comprising a plurality of transverse elongated members disposed in spaced parallel relationship, a plurality of longitudinal upwardly opening channel members disposed in spaced parallel relationship beneath said transverse members, a plurality of supports carried by said channels with each support being in alignment with one of said transverse elongated members, means securing each support to one of the last said members, a plurality of electric outlets carried by at least certain of said channel members and brackets engaging said channel members for the support of lighting fixtures therefrom.

I I I i III 

1. Lighting fixture display apparatus comprising a plurality of transverse members each having a plurality of releasable connectors on the underside thereof with corresponding connectors on said members being in longitudinal alignment, a plurality of longitudinally upwardly opening channels, a plurality of spaced supports engaging said channels and connectors to hold said channels in spaced parallel relationship, and electric outlets carried by at least certain of said channels, said channels being adapted to support lighting fixtures carried by brackets engaging at least one of said channels, said connectors each comprising a downwardly facing channel section with the downwardly extending legs of said channel section having inwardly extending flanges, and each support is T-shaped with the lower part of said support engaging the flanges on said connector said connectors further including means engaging the upper portion of the associated support to prevent lateral movement thereof and means for locking said upper support portion in engagement with its associated connector.
 2. Lighting fixture display apparatus comprising a plurality of transverse members each having a plurality of releasable connectors on the underside thereof with corresponding connectors on said members being in longitudinal alignment, a plurality of longitudinal upwardly opening channels, a plurality of spaced supports engaging said channels and connectors to hold said channels in spaced parallel relationship, and electric outlets carried by at least certain of said channels, said channels being adapted to support lighTing fixtures carried by brackets engaging at least one of said channels, the outermost longitudinal channels including outwardly extending flanges and upwardly extending lips on the outer ends of the flanges to receive and hold elongated longitudinal panels and the ends of said longitudinal channels are closed by transverse vertical plates each having an upper inwardly extending flange overlying the adjoining ends of said channels and a lower outwardly extending flange having an upwardly extending lip to receive and hold elongated transverse panels.
 3. Lighting fixture display apparatus comprising a plurality of transverse members each having a plurality of releasable connectors on the underside thereof with corresponding connectors on said members being in longitudinal alignment, a plurality of longitudinal upwardly opening channels, a plurality of spaced supports engaging said channels and connectors to hold said channels in spaced parallel relationship, and electric outlets carried by at least certain of said channels, said channels being adapted to support lighting fixtures carried by brackets engaging at least one of said channels, said electric outlets being faced upwardly and engaging the upper open edges of said channels and covers closing the open portions of the outlet carrying channels between said outlets.
 4. Lighting fixture display apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said outer longitudinal channels include outwardly extending flanges and upwardly extending lips on the outer ends of the flanges to receive and hold elongated longitudinal panels and the ends of said longitudinal channels are closed by transverse vertical plates each having an upper inwardly extending flange overlying the adjoining ends of said channels and a lower outwardly extending flange having an upwardly extending lip to receive and hold elongated transverse panels.
 5. Lighting fixture display apparatus comprising a plurality of transverse members each having a plurality of releasable connectors on the underside thereof with corresponding connectors on said members being in longitudinal alignment, a plurality of longitudinal upwardly opening channels, a plurality of spaced supports engaging said channels and connectors to hold said channels in spaced parallel relationship, electric outlets carried by at least certain of said channels, and fixture carrying means comprising a bracket bridging at least two adjoining longitudinal channels and lighting fixture supporting means carried by said bracket and extending downwardly between said longitudinal channels.
 6. Lighting fixture display apparatus comprising a plurality of transverse elongated members disposed in spaced parallel relationship, a plurality of longitudinal upwardly opening channel members disposed in spaced parallel relationship beneath said transverse members, a plurality of supports carried by said channels with each support being in alignment with one of said transverse elongated members, means securing each support to one of the last said members, a plurality of electric outlets carried by at least certain of said channel members and brackets engaging said channel members for the support of lighting fixtures therefrom. 